its good to hear from someone not suporting either side. It seems as tho most people who voice a political opinion are either right or left. im sure a lot of people look at the hysterics and just wonder about it. i understand both sides have grievances but the way people talk to each other esp reading some of the stuff on hol and how aggressive it can be just makes me question both the left and the right.

I never use a napkin on my lap at a restaurant... because I believe in myself.

I condemn the vandalising of Karl Marx's grave in the same manner as those that attacked Churchill's statue or war memorials.

The people who do this are morons. The people behind the people who do this want to provoke the other side into retaliation and escalation. They believe that creating anarchy will further their cause and swell their numbers.

Thankfully as I have said many times the history of this country is that the vast majority of people do not support extremism from any side.

It may look frightening that black shirts march through the east end but Mosley's party was a complete electoral failure. Openly hard left and far right candidates do not do well in elections and have to resort to hiding in more moderate parties.

I trust the good common sense of the people we will have are ups and downs but we are not France which has spent the last 200 years revolting in one way or another.

For those that think it is bad at the moment I am not trying to minimise the ugliness of it but it is no different to the seventies when we had the SWP and the NF. When the dust settles these groups will not be elected let alone in power.

Finally I find it telling that when advocates speak of the rise of extremism they frequently refer to what's going in in the USA or Europe citing this or that party. That makes my point it is happening over there and not here. The day to start worrying is when they start winning elections in this country.

I condemn the vandalising of Karl Marx's grave in the same manner as those that attacked Churchill's statue or war memorials.

The people who do this are morons. The people behind the people who do this want to provoke the other side into retaliation and escalation. They believe that creating anarchy will further their cause and swell their numbers.

Thankfully as I have said many times the history of this country is that the vast majority of people do not support extremism from any side.

It may look frightening that black shirts march through the east end but Mosley's party was a complete electoral failure. Openly hard left and far right candidates do not do well in elections and have to resort to hiding in more moderate parties.

I trust the good common sense of the people we will have are ups and downs but we are not France which has spent the last 200 years revolting in one way or another.

For those that think it is bad at the moment I am not trying to minimise the ugliness of it but it is no different to the seventies when we had the SWP and the NF. When the dust settles these groups will not be elected let alone in power.

Finally I find it telling that when advocates speak of the rise of extremism they frequently refer to what's going in in the USA or Europe citing this or that party. That makes my point it is happening over there and not here. The day to start worrying is when they start winning elections in this country.

Edited by Badger11 (17 Feb 2019 10.35am)

I think you are ignoring demographic shifts. You aren't talking about the same homogeneous set of people who all tend to behave similarly from generation to generation but a collection of significantly sized different groups growing and reducing at different rates with generally different cultural expectations.

However, this kind of thing never happens in countries that are doing economically well

While we definitely have a lot of people struggling the reality is that while people can avoid confrontation and get by they will do that.

However the problems within society aren't going to minimise from what I can see. All I see ahead is increasing balkanization and eventually that only results in one thing.

I think you are ignoring demographic shifts. You aren't talking about the same homogeneous set of people who all tend to behave similarly from generation to generation but a collection of significantly sized different groups growing and reducing at different rates with generally different cultural expectations.

However, this kind of thing never happens in countries that are doing economically well

While we definitely have a lot of people struggling the reality is that while people can avoid confrontation and get by they will do that.

However the problems within society aren't going to minimise from what I can see. All I see ahead is increasing balkanization and eventually that only results in one thing.

Edited by Stirlingsays (17 Feb 2019 11.33am)

Maybe I am more optimistic about the future, at least I hope so.

Once we have left the EU immigration will settle down to more manageable levels and I believe we will thrive economically outside the EU. This I hope will take the sting out of the extremists and they will be left howling in the wind.

Once we have left the EU immigration will settle down to more manageable levels and I believe we will thrive economically outside the EU. This I hope will take the sting out of the extremists and they will be left howling in the wind.

We are going to see or the next lot in will anyway.... but the signs are already there as far as I'm concerned.

The people you refer to as extremists...on whatever side are just representating their own demographics. The old way to keep them quiet was the danegeld, the modern way is the welfare state.

But like the danegeld that only works for so long.

The vote to leave the EU was definitely a vote against freedom of movement for sure. However the immigration of Europeans isn't going to be causing the problems I mentioned.

That immigration remains unaffected and I don't see that changing.

However, leaving the EU will..if I had to bet..economically probably be the better option.

I see the EU breaking apart into smaller fractions in the future. Not being apart of that will lessen the damage.

as a believer in low taxes, low government spending, meritocracy, proper punishments for crimes, workers getting to keep the fruit of their labours - and them being better off than longterm spongers, the nuclear family, the free market, patriotism with a small p, care for the elderly, and controlled immigration...therefore i am proudly right wing.

but first and foremost i believe in democracy, rule of law, and moderate civility in public life.

This thread is about nutters who shout-down a meeting, vandalise statues, refuse to accept facts or arguments, riot in the streets, murder politicians like jo cox, openly support isis, homophobia, man-hating feminists (and woman hating chauvinists) , and all the other left/right looneys who cannot give any respect to anybody who does not agree with their dogma....at each others throat. Boring.

as a believer in low taxes, low government spending, meritocracy, proper punishments for crimes, workers getting to keep the fruit of their labours - and them being better off than longterm spongers, the nuclear family, the free market, patriotism with a small p, care for the elderly, and controlled immigration...therefore i am proudly right wing.

but first and foremost i believe in democracy, rule of law, and moderate civility in public life.

This thread is about nutters who shout-down a meeting, vandalise statues, refuse to accept facts or arguments, riot in the streets, murder politicians like jo cox, openly support isis, homophobia, man-hating feminists (and woman hating chauvinists) , and all the other left/right looneys who cannot give any respect to anybody who does not agree with their dogma....at each others throat. Boring.

I reckon you probably covered 90 percent of Hol's political talking points in one post.